Can punch



J. J. MORSCH Oct. 9, 1962 CAN PUNCH Filed Jan. 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. Jssa: J Manse/r lrronvir J. J. MORSCH 3,057,060

Oct. 9, 1962 CAN PUNCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR.

m g I? fi sz J Manse United 3,057,060 CAN PUNCH Jesse J. Morsch, 408 N.4th St., Douglas, Wyo. Filed Jan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 82,959 1 Claim.(Cl. 30-6.1)

Many food containers and cans are opened by punching two holes in thetop thereof, one for discharging the fluid and the other for admittingair. Such containers are used for containing beer, soft drinks, milk,lubricating oil, etc. This invention relates to a can punch for cuttingand forming these two holes in the top of the container or can.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an economical,highly efiicient and easily used can punch for use on a table, counteror bar and which will provide a secure support for the cans during thepunching operation and which can be rapidly actuated to simultaneouslyform a relatively large pouring opening and a relatively small airopening in the top of cans of various sizes and types.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can punch which willmove directly downwardly on the can parallel to the axis thereof so asto accurately position the holes without tilting the can and which willroll the edges of the openings downwardly and outwardly so as to avoidall sharp edges and to produce smooth rounded edges on the openings toprevent physical damage to a user when drinking directly from the can.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved can punch in the openor can-receiving position;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross section looking downwardly on the line 33,FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a detail cross section taken on the line 55, FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view looking upwardly on the line 6-6,FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a typical can into which openings have been cutand formed by means of the improved can punch;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section through the top of thecan taken on the line 8-8, FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged detail view showing the appearance of the bottomof a punch element employed in the improved can punch.

The improved can punch comprises a flat, elongated rectangular baseplate 10, preferably provided with cushioned foot pads 11. A frame plate12 extends transversally of and arises vertically from the base plate 10adjacent one extremity thereof. The frame plate 12 is braced from theadjacent extremity of the base plate by means of suitable triangularbraces 13. Two arcuately notched, can-receiving angle members 14 aresecured to the front of the frame plate 12 in vertically spaced relationin any suitable manner such as by means of attachment screws 15. Theforward edges of the horizontal portions of the can guides 14 areprovided with semi-circular notches 16 of a radius to correspond to theradius of the largest expected can.

assume) Patented Oct. 9, 1 962 "ice Two guide track members 17 arevertically mounted on the rear of the frame plate 12 in horizontallyspaced parallel relation and a cover plate 18 extends between the trackmembers 17 and is secured thereto by means of suitable attachment screws19 to enclose and form a vertical guide channel on the rear of the frameplate 12. A vertical slide bar 20 is slidably positioned in thisvertical guide channel. The slide bar 26 has a cross-section to enableit to freely move vertically without side play or tilt. The cover plate.18 extends upwardly above the track members 17 to receive an upperspring screw 22 and the slide bar 20 is constantly urged upwardly bymeans of a tension spring 21 which is tensed between the upper springscrew 22 and a lower spring screw 23 which is threaded into the slidebar adjacent its lower extremity and projects rearwardly through avertically elongated screw slot 24 in the cover plate 18.

A cap bracket 25 is formed or mounted on the upper extremity of theslide bar 20 and extends forwardly therefrom. A circular can cap member26, provided with a downwardly extending peripheral flange 27, isfixedly mounted beneath the cap bracket 25 substantially in axialalignment with the arcuate notches 16 in the can guiding angle members14. The cap member 26 is secured to the cap bracket 25 by means ofthreaded studs 28 and 29. The stud 28 extends downwardly through the capbracket 25 and through the cap member 26 and is threaded at its lowerextremity into a relatively small air hole punch 30. The stud 29similarly extends downwardly through the bracket 25 and the cap member26 and is threaded at its lower extremity into a relatively largedischarge hole punch 31. The studs 28 and 29 are fixedly locked inposition by means of suitable lock nuts 32 threaded thereon above thebracket member 25.

The slide bar 20, with its associated bracket 25 and cap member 26, canbe manually forced downwardly through the medium of an actuating leverhandle 33, the rear extremity of which is provided with a horizontal,tubular bearing sleeve 34 which is rotatably mounted upon a pivot bolt35. The pivot bolt 35 is mounted in and extends between the upperextremities of two bearing brackets 36 which were mounted upon the backof the frame plate 12 by means of suitable attachment screws 37 so as toextend rearwardly and upwardly from the frame plate in parallelrelation.

The lever handle 33 is supported from the cap bracket 25 through themedium of two connecting links 38 which are pivotally secured uponopposite sides of the handle 33 by means of an upper link bolt 39 and toopposite sides of the cap bracket 25 by means of a lower link bolt 40 soas to transmit movement between the handle 33 and the cap member 26.

In use, a can, such as indicated at 47, is placed on the base plate andslid rearwardly into the confines of the notches in the angle members14. The handle 33 is then forced downwardly to cause the punches 3'1 and30 to pierce and enter the can top, shown at 46, to form a pouring ordischarge opening 43 and an air opening 44 successively therein, asshown in FIG. 7.

Particular attention is directed to the contour of the punches 30 and31, more particularly punch 31. The usual can top punch simply piercesthe can top and when withdrawn, pulls portions of the edges upwardly toform sharp, saw-tooth-like edges about the openings. Often the contentssuch as beverages, are drunk directly from the can and these sharpirregular edges often cause injury to the lips and tongue of a user. Thepunches in this invention are specifically designed to avoid thisobjection. They have a three-sided-pyramidal shape with three relativelysharp, equally-spaced inclined cutting edges 48 radiating from a commonsharp center point 49. Three triangular inclined faces 50 extend betweenthe sharp cutting edges 48. The edges 48 cut the can top to form threetriangular segments 45 and the inclined faces 50 roll these triangularsegments downwardly and outwardly from the opening to form three smoothrounded sides on each opening, as shown in FIG. 8, without damag- 5claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed 1 and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

A can punch comprising: a base plate; a frame plate extendingtransversely of and arising vertically from said base plate adjacent oneextremity of the latter; two vertical, spaced-apart guide track membersmounted on the 20 rear of said frame plate and extending verticallytherealong; a cover plate secured to and extending between said trackmembers to enclose a vertical guide channel therebetween; a verticalslide bar slidably mounted in said guide channel and extending abovesaid frame plate; a 25 spring tensioned between said cover plate andsaid slide bar and urging the latter upwardly; a bracket member mountedon and extending forwardly from the upper extremity of said slide bar;two spaced-apart bearing brack;

ets mounted on and extending rearwardly from said 30 frame plate; ahandle lever pivotally mounted between said bearing brackets andextending forwardly over said slide bar; connecting links connected toand extending from opposite sides of said handle lever to opposite sidesof said slide bar for transmitting vertical movement therebetween; acircular can cap member; threaded studs extending through said capmember and said bracket member and securing said cap member beneath theforward extremity of said bracket member; a downwardlyextendingcircular, peripheral flange surrounding said cap member; a pointed canpiercing head on the lower extremity of each threaded stud; an uppercan-receiving member; and a lower can-receiving member, saidcan-receiving members being mounted on the front face of said frameplate in vertically spaced relation and being pro vided with similarsemi-circular sockets for positioning a can below said can cap member,so that, when said handle lever is formed downwardly, said can capmember will descend on said can to force said pointed heads through thetop thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,359,883 Swanson Oct. 10, 1944 2,501,817 Jaeger Mar. 28, 1950 2,516,746Barlow July 25, 1950 2,587,090 Bandy Feb. 26, 1952 2,636,258 Jones Apr.28, 1953 2,725,622 Geier Dec. 6, 1955 2,733,504 Smith Feb. 7, 19562,747,272 Smith et a1 May 29, 1956

